Wire-stretcher.



J. V. LONGAN.

WIRE STEETUHERI APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1910.

987,896. Patented Mar. 28, 1911,

[NVENTOR John/KL WWW THE NORRIS PETERS co.. WASHINGYON, n. c.

JOHN VIRGLE LONGAN, 0F ARCHER CITY, TEXAS.

I/VIBE-STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 28, 1911.

Application filed July 25, 1910. Serial No. 578,613.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN V. LONGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Archer City, county of Archer, and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in VVire-Stretchers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to a wire stretcher, and particularly to a construction having cooperatin levers adapted to engage and grip stran s of wire.

The invention has for an object to provide pivoted gripping jaws each carrying at their outer ends winding spools from which a draft cable extends to a point of resistance whereby the tension of the cable causes the jaws to move toward each other and also exerts a draft longitudinally of the wire to which they are attached.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of pivoted gripping jaws by which they are geared together to effect a movement in unison and are each provided at their free ends with a winding spool carrying upon its pivot a ratchet wheel mounted to cooperate with a lever having a pawl engaging the teeth of said wheel.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter fully set forth and the novel features thereof defined by the appended claims.

In the drawing :Figure 1 is a plan of the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a detail bottom plan, Fig. 4 is a top plan of a modified form thereof; and Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation thereof.

Like numerals refer to like parts in the several views of the drawing.

The numeral 10 designates the gripping jaws or levers which are provided with faces 11 adapted to contact with and retain a wire strand 12 between them. These levers are pivotally mounted at 13 upon a plate 14: through which said pivots extend. At the opposite side of the plate 14: the pivots 18 are provided with meshing gears 15 secured to the pivots so as to cause a simultaneous and uniform movement of each of the levers even though the draft upon one be greater than upon the other. At the outer end 16 of each lever a winding spool 17 is pivotally mounted and a cable or strand 18 connected thereto. Upon the axis 19 of this spool a ratchet wheel 20 is secured and is normally held against movement in one direction by a pawl 21 pivoted upon the lever. Any desired means may be used for rotating the winding spools, but a preferred form thereof consists of the hand levers 22 which are pivoted at their inner ends upon the spool 17 and are each provided with a pivoted pawl 28 engaging the teeth of the ratchet wheel 20. This lever is bifurcated at its inner end 2 1 so as to secure such pivotal mounting and to embrace both the spool and ratchet wheel secured to the axis 19 thereof.

The cables 18 may be attached to any desired point of resistance, for instance, in Fig. 1, they are each provided with a removable connection 34 by which they may be at tached to gripping levers 25, these levers be ing pivoted at 26 upon a plate 27 and geared together by means of gears 28, as described in connection with the gripping levers 10. Both the levers 10 and 25 are provided with a pivoted retaining plate 29 by which the levers may be supported upon the wires to which they are connected until the tension is sufficient to hold them in position. In this application of the invention opposite ends of wire are drawn toward each other for the purpose of connecting the same or placing a tension thereon.

If it be desired to place tension upon the wire 12 for the purpose of drawing the same toward a fixed point or support, such as a post 30, as shown in Fig. 4, the connecting devices 34 at the ends of the cables 18 may be secured together and passed around this post or other fixed point so that the winding of the spool will draw the jaws 10 and the wire carried thereby toward the post.

In the modified form shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the gripping levers 10 are bifurcated and mounted upon the spindle 19 which carries the spool 17. The hand levers 22 are also bifurcated and dle 19. The spool 17 has formed at one end thereof a ratchet which cooperates with a pawl carried by one arm of the bifurcated end while the bifurcated end of the gripping lever is provided with a similar pawl engaging the ratchet substantially as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. In this modification, the ratchet wheel is formed upon the spool instead of being attached to the spindle 19.

In the operation of the invention the stretcher may be used to connect opposite the axis of mounted upon the spinthe application gripping ends of severed or separated wires, as shown in Fig. 1, or for drawing one wire toward a post or other point of attachment, and it will be seen that by pressing the levers carried by the gripping jaws toward each other the cable is wound upon the spools which exert not only a longitudinal tension upon the wire but also force these jaws toward each other thus increasing the grip and preventing any slipping of the stretcher upon the wire held thereby. The cables may be readily disconnected from the opposite gripping jaws, as shown in Fig. 1 and connected together for attachment to a point of resistance such as a post, as shown in Fig. 4. In

shown in Fig. 1 the stretching is effected without slack between the jaws and the free ends of the wire are so disposed that they can be readily connected in any desired manner. The invention therefore presents a simple, economically constructed and very efficient form of wire stretcher.

Having described my invention and set forth its merits, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A wire stretcher comprising opposite levers, winding spools carried thereby, and a draft cable extended from each of said spools to a point of resistance.

2. A wire stretcher comprising opposite gripping levers, winding spools carried thereby, a .draft cable extended from each of said spools to a point of resistance, a ratchet wheel mounted upon the pivot of each of said spools, a pawl mounted upon the lever to engage and hold said ratchet, and means mounted upon said pivot for actuating said ratchet.

8. In a wire stretcher, a plate, opposite outwardly curved gripping levers pivoted thereon, means extending from the free ends of said levers to a point of resistance, and means mounted upon said levers for placing said first mentioned means under tension.

I. In a wire stretcher, a plate, oppositely disposed gripping levers pivoted thereon, winding spools mounted upon the free ends of said levers, and flexible means extending from said spools to a pointof resistance.

5. In a wire stretcher, a plate, oppositely disposed gripping levers pivoted thereon, winding spools mounted upon the free ends of said levers, flexible means extending from said spools to a point of resistance, and cooperating gripping levers connected to the ends of said flexible means.-

6. In a wire stretcher, plate, oppositely disposed gripping levers pivoted thereon, winding spools mounted upon the free ends of said levers, flexible means extending from said spools to a point of resistance, ratchets carried by the shafts of said spools, and hand levers mounted upon said shafts and provided with a pawl engaging said ratchets.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses; 7

JOHN VIRGLE LONGAN.

Witnesses W. W. JEHNSAN, J. H. MARTIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

